Buying a car from a dealership is already a confusing situation, but one trick car salesman like to use is the "up to" selling point, where they coerce you into upping your monthly payment limit without you noticing.

In an article for Edmunds, one car salesman describes the process:

The process begins by asking the customer how much they want for a monthly payment. Usually, they say, about $300. "Then, you just say, '$300... up to?' And they'll say, 'Well, $350.' Now they've just bumped themselves $50 a month. That's huge." You then fill in $350 under the monthly payment box.

Michael said you could use the "up to" trick with the down payment too. "If Mr. Customer says he wants to put down $2000, you say, "Up to?" And he'll probably bump himself up to $2500." Michael then wrote $2,500 in the down payment box of the 4-square worksheet.

At the time, $50 a month might not seem like much, but if you're trying to stick to a budget, make sure you stand firm on the amount you're willing to pay. If you don't want to deal with the hassle, you can always pitch about $50 lower than you're willing to pay so at least the salesman walks away thinking they've coerced you into something. If you're in the market and need some more tips, we've covered a few more ways to protect yourself when buying a used car. Photo by Brian Teutsch.